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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · bound · bulb · stick · charge · wind · bay · hand

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — help
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. object — an aim
  13. bulb — for light
  14. object — a thing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bound — certain
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. charge — a price
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — in cards
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com